Susan Hawk

What am I hungry to find in my queries, you ask? Creepy, psychological (not gory) horror, MG or YA. Give me something strange with a gradual, gripping sense of unease -- make my spine shiver! #MSWL

Right now, I'm particularly hungry for MG and YA. I want stories and characters that will surprise me! Something that feels new and fresh. I was tweeting about my #MSWL last week, so see more here: twitter.com/susanhawk/stat…

I'm esp looking for bks that center marginalized voices & are intersectional. I don't see enough religious diversity. I’m fascinated by ritual & faith; how these intertwine to create belief. What does belief feel like? What's it like to want to believe, but find you can't? #MSWL

As I said, open to all genres, but some I particularly love are fantasy and mystery. Humor is frequently a key element of the books I fall in love with. #MSWL

Voice and world-building are also important. I think voice and character are really connected -- if you really know who you're writing about, their voice is probably distinctive as well. And I want to be swept into a singular, immersive world/place. #MSWL

I'm open to all genres. For me, character trumps all. If your character is driving the story, is layered, and richly drawn, I'd love to see your project! #MSWL

Howdy, writers! Here's your reminder of our upcoming #AskUpstart session, 11/7 at Noon EST. And, in preparation for that, a note about the kind of manuscripts I'm hungry to see. First, MG and YA is where my head is these days. #MSWL

That said, I don’t care for gory or gross horror. Psychological horror is the sweet spot for me. Something Gothic, or with ghosts – also good! #MSWL

It’s just a week until Halloween and I’m in the mood to read something spooooky! If you’re writing a heart-stopping horror story for MG or YA, I’d love to see it. #MSWL

I love how a funny book can operate in a kid's world. They're a pleasure to read - score one for reading. Plus, if I (the grown-up) get the joke, and the kid also gets the joke, that's a way of saying, hey, you're pretty smart, kid. Score many, many more for reading. #MSWL

I'm in awe of truly funny writing. It's harder than it seems, and I love seeing it work on the page. #MSWL

Life is messy, and nothing is colored in the lines. It's often in a dark moment that things feel funniest. I like books that capture the messy complexity of life, including how humor crops up. #MSWL

So, time for another #MSWL, in the run-up to tomorrow's #askUpstart session. HUMOR, people! I love books that make me laugh, in every category; PB, CB, MG, YA. Here's a couple reasons why:

Here's my #MSWL for today: If you’re writing the book that YOU want to read – you’re my kind of writer. Query me! #MSWL

I love, love, love historical fiction. It has to be gripping and immersive. I'd love something about the post-WII period, esp if set Berlin. #MSWL

I'm looking for fiction for kids and teens that relates to issues happening in our world right now: the refugee crisis, the opioid epidemic, the Flint, MI water crisis. #MSWL

It's also time for more #MSWL! Generally, I rep all categories of children's and YA books, both fiction and nonfiction. At the moment I'm most hungry for MG and YA fiction.

I love ambitious, literary YA, and would especially like one that's lushly, unabashedly romantic. #MSWL

Stories that are piercingly true to their characters, revealing their layers and deepest feelings -- this goes for every category of children's and YA books. #MSWL

In advance of our #AskUpstart session 8/7, I promised a few new #MSWL notes. I’m looking for “Activist Non-Fiction” (shout-out to @_GinaGagliano!), NF that explores a current issue, engages readers deeply, and calls them to action. YA, MG & Graphic Novels like this – all welcome!